What It Means to Kiss
by VisionaryDame
Summary: Luffy discovers something that greatly piques his interest on an island the Straw Hats visited, but when he asks Nami about it, she doesn't know much. Rumor has it, however, that Catherine may be able to help him figure out what it is and what it means. [LuffyOC]


"Hey, Catherine?"

The blue haired shinobi glanced up from the book she was reading upon hearing her name, blinking her violet eyes once as she returned to reality. She was fortunate that Nami was kind enough to allow Catherine a spot to sunbathe while reading - even if it was at the cost of paying a "small" fee for every hour she remained here - so the sunlight suddenly blinding her was not an issue. However, when she looked up, she could not help but jump in surprise when she found Luffy leaning very close, unfazed by the reaction she had given him.

"L-Luffy!" She exclaimed, a faint shade of pink gracing her cheeks. Upon closer inspection, she could not help but notice the look on his face; it was evident that something was on his mind. Whether it was troubling him or not, however, she was unsure. "I-is something wrong?" She asked, tilting her head to the side a bit. "You look like you need to ask me something."

His eyes widened in awe at that.

"Yeah, that's right!" He exclaimed as he sat down on the chair. Catherine had to steal a glance in a different direction, keeping an eye out for Nami in case she witnessed what Luffy was up to, before looking back at him. "You must read minds or something, Catherine. How did you know that?"

Catherine giggled at that as she placed a bookmark in her book.

"Actually, I can't read minds," she responded sweetly. "Your facial expression gave it away. That's all." Luffy looked away, muttering a small "Ooh" as he did so before Catherine continued. "Anyway, what's on your mind?"

It took a moment for Luffy to register what she said, but when he did, his eyes lit up as if he remembered why he was there before looking at her again. His expression changed to a questioning one as he did so. The question he asked, however, threw Catherine off.

"Do you know anything about kissing someone?" He blurted out without missing a beat or a hint of hesitation, and his expression never changed.

The question floored Catherine. Her jaw dropped slightly as her cheeks began to turn as red as Luffy's shirt. She was baffled by his question, especially after hearing him say it as if it was nothing special. Her mind reeled as it tried to bring her back to reality, yet she found it difficult to form a coherent sentence.

Confused, Luffy tilted his head to the side a bit - it was then that Catherine realized his straw hat was not on top of his head, but rather around his neck - and blinked curiously.

"Catherine?" He spoke, taking note of Catherine's speechlessness as well as her darkening cheeks. After a moment, he moved one of his hands and placed it against her cheek. When a moment passed, Luffy became horrified, unaware of the fact that Catherine had become more flustered the moment he touched her cheek. "Whoa! You're burning up, Catherine!" He exclaimed frantically. "A-are you sick? Do you need Chopper to look at you?"

"N-n-no! I-it's okay!" Catherine quickly refused, unconsciously placing her hand against his - the one against her still burning cheek - to keep him from running off. "I-I'm fine! Don't worry! It's just...uh..." Her gaze shifted as she tried to collect her thoughts. Luffy continued to look at her with a worried gaze before she looked at him again. "I'm just...I'm just curious as to w-why you asked?" She went on to say, removing his hand from her cheek. She did not release it, however, and neither seemed to notice. "I-I've never heard you ask something like that before, a-and it threw me off guard...a little."

He blinked before looking at the sky, pursing his lips in thought.

"Well," he started to speak, "when we were on the last island, I saw these two people that were walking together. They were holding hands and stuff," He looked at her with a cheeky grin, "kind of like what we used to do when we were little!" Catherine nodded, smiling at the fond memories, but remained silent as he continued. "Anyway, they were doing that, but next thing I know," His expression turned horrified again, "they got _really_ close to each other. And not just standing next to each other, either!" Before she could ask, Luffy suddenly moved closer to her, his face inches from hers. The action surprised her once again as her eyes shot open, her face turning scarlet once more. "It was this close! And then," he pointed to his lips, not even bothering to move away, "their faces got really close so that their mouths were touching!"

"O-oh?" She squeaked, unable to form any other kind of response and earning a swift nod from Luffy. She, then, watched as he scrunched his nose a bit in disgust.

"It was really weird, and I didn't know why they did that," he commented moments before his expression changed to normal. "So I asked Nami about it, and she said it's called 'kissing.'" Then, he frowned. "But when I asked her more, she told me she didn't know much." Catherine knew that was a blatant lie, but it was not until Luffy smiled again that she learned why. "She did tell me that you may know more about it than she does, so that's why I'm here!"

It was Catherine's turn to feel horrified, though she expected nothing less from the crafty navigator. Knowing too well that Catherine was Luffy's closest friend, it made sense to him to ask someone he knew better than anyone. Besides, Nami was considered smart, so if she suggested that Catherine knew something she may have not, Luffy would fall for it without question. Now, she was stuck having to explain something that she genuinely did not know how to explain, especially to someone like Straw Hat Luffy.

Unfortunately, she was thrown into this mess, so now she had to figure a way out.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Catherine finally spoke, "W-well...uh..." She glanced away nervously. "How do I explain this...? Um..." She paused for thought, trying her best to ignore the expectant gaze of Luffy as he smiled at her. Unfortunately, it was not helping her think, and she had no choice but to look at him. "It's...it's something that two people who...who really like each other share." She knew she sounded ridiculous, but it was what she could muster off the top of her head without flustering. "It's...it's a way for one person to show another how much they really mean to them." She paused as she gazed into his eyes, noting how he was doing the same with her as his smile faded. The realization made her blush even more. "U-um, t-think of it as telling someone they're special to you...without really saying it out loud."

Luffy continued to look at her in silence, his mind seemingly processing the information that was given, while Catherine took this opportunity to look down. She wanted to hide her growing blush from him, but she started to find it difficult upon the realization that she was still holding his hand. How could she have forgotten about that? Maybe the whole "explaining what a kiss is" situation distracted her to the point where contact seemed non-existent in her mind.

After some time, she heard Luffy make an "Ooh" sound, a sound that told her that he was just starting to understand. Stealing a glance at him, she noticed him smiling widely.

"I get it!" He beamed, his eyes filled with awe over the revelation. The sight made her smile, but it immediately faded as he went on to say, "If that's the case, you and I should try doing that, too!"

"W-w-wait, what?!" She exclaimed, unable to hide her scarlet face over his words.

Luffy chuckled, unfazed by her outburst.

"Yeah, we should do that!" He encouraged, taking her other hand with his free one. "I know I like you a lot, and I know you're really special!" He grinned. "And I know you think the same of me, so it works, right?" Catherine was speechless; this time, she had no words to say in response. She could not formulate how to respond to such a request - or rather, demand - in an appropriate manner. Luffy, unfortunately, was oblivious to that fact as he moved both of his hands to her cheeks, surprising her even further. "Here, I'll give a shot! I'll show you how those two did it, so you know what I'm talking about!"

"W-wait a second, L-Luffy! I-I-"

That was all she could get out before his mouth covered hers, silencing her with a swift yet gentle kiss before she had the chance to go on. Her eyes widened in shock as her mind raced, trying to process what was happening at that moment. He was kissing her; _Luffy_ was kissing _Catherine_. She never thought that she would ever have to tell herself that in a lifetime. It was a thought that she believed was only fantasy, a fairytale that was better off as a story. However, the longer he kissed her, the more that fantasy turned into reality.

Oddly enough, she started to become much more comfortable with the idea that kissing her captain was no longer a fairytale.

As they remained in their position, Catherine could not help but notice the little things about him as she began to relax, closing her eyes slowly while one of her hands found its way to his neck. His lips were chapped a bit, not unbearable she noted, and he tasted of...meat? No doubt he found his way into the kitchen once again. Then again, he was always eating meat, so it was no surprise. However, she could not help but notice just how sweet and innocent it was. She assumed that this had to be the first time he ever did something like this. Judging from the fact that he was not making any attempts to go further than where they were, it may have been a sign that said he either had no clue as to what to do or he chose not to take it further. Either way, she found it cute. As she inhaled, she took in his scent - a reminder of the vast oceans they sailed together - and she felt even more relaxed than before.

Unfortunately, the kiss felt short lived as Luffy pulled away, keeping his hands against her cheeks and his face close to hers. They opened their eyes and looked at each other as if they were trying to comprehend what just happened. For Catherine, she felt like the world around her was nonexistent. No longer did it feel like they were sailing the seas in search of the One Piece. No longer did it feel like they were on a massive ship with their crew. Instead, it felt like they were the only two people there, and frankly, Catherine started to feel content with that fact.

Luffy, on the other hand, was a different story.

After what seemed like an eternity of staring, Luffy grinned widely and chuckled.

"That was cool!" He whispered jovially, placing his forehead against hers. It was clearly intended to be a friendly gesture, one that Catherine had grown fond of, but even then, Catherine had a difficult time telling if it was in that manner or a different manner entirely. "We should do that more often," he went on before chuckling again.

Catherine, when she was able to collect her thoughts, could not help but smile sweetly, placing her free hand on his.

"Y...yeah..." She slowly stuttered in response. "T-that would...that would be really cool..."


End file.
